Lee Mama Yam Cake - Wah Kueh @ 273 Bukit Batok East Ave 4

It was during the Covid-19 period when I first heard about this Lee Mama Yam Cake stall at 273 Bukit Batok East Ave 4.

Dining-in at food establishments were prohibited then and people were sharing on social media their favorite places to tapau (takeaway) from. 

The reason that this stall had my attention was because they serve wah kueh (碗粿), a fast-disappearing Hokkien snack of yesteryear.

I have bookmarked the stall to visit once dining-in restrictions are lifted but guess what? 

Six long years have since gone by, and I have yet to pay a visit to said location.

It was not until earlier this month when a customer posted that the ladies running the stall has decided to call it quits due to aging, poor business and rising costs. 

I have no time to procrastinate any longer hence, I took a bus down to the coffee shop three days before their closure.

By the time this post is up, they have already hung up their aprons.

Hot & Sour Pork Bone Broth @ Gong Yuan Ma La Tang

The ma la craze has taken Singapore by storm for many years now, but can you believe that this is actually my first time having it? 

Had I not won a gift voucher for Gong Yuan Ma La Tang from The Clementi Mall giveaway, I doubt I would have ever taken the first step to come to this ma la place for a meal.

So, what is stopping me from having something so popular with Singaporeans?

Jian Bing Guo Zi @ Kun Hai Shop

I have been watching videos about China street food on YouTube for quite a while now and my latest obsession is with the jian bing guo zi.

Imagine a Chinese crêpe of sorts, wrapped with crispy crackers and youtiao and eaten mostly for breakfast. It is always made fresh upon order, on a griddle by the street vendors. 

It was by sheer chance that I happened to walk past this China supermarket at The Clementi Mall called Kun Hai Shop while on my way to Qin Ji Rougamo next door.

Out of curiosity, I entered the shop to check out the products they carry and to my surprise, I discovered a jian bing guo zi station inside!

Pickled Cabbage Fish with Rice Noodle & Cumin Pork Rougamo @ Qin Ji Rougamo

Unlike my previous rougamo/roujiamo which are found in a coffee shop and hawker centre, Qin Ji Rougamo is located inside The Clementi Mall on the fourth floor, right outside the food court Boleh Boleh.

They have other locations at Alexandra Retail Centre, Guoco Tower, Jurong Point, Payar Lebar Square, Raffles Place, Sengkang Grand Mall and The Woodleigh Mall. 

This brand is operated fast-food style, where you place your order over the counter with their crew whom I find pretty friendly. You will be given a printed receipt with your order number and all you have to do next is to wait for your number to be called to collect your food.

Beijing Time-Honored Cuisine - Pig Trotters Rice @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

To be honest, I have not heard of this stall named Beijing Time-Honored Cuisine before even though it has been there at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre for a while.

I guess it is easy to be overlooked when the stall is sandwiched in between the bigger names like Hawker Chan and Heng Ji Chicken Rice. The situation is made worse when another stall with a similar menu is ]located directly across them. The stall in question is Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao and it had a Michelin 2018 decal proudly displayed on its display window.

I only got to know about this stall when I came across a photo of their pig trotters rice on Instagram which prompted me to come check them out.

Big Dot Chicken @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

I can never resist the lure of fried chicken hence when news of this month-old stall at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre reaches my ears, I know I have to head down for a look.

A joint venture by three entrepreneur friends, Big Dot Chicken is a social enterprise aimed at helping the unemployed by offering them jobs and providing on-the-job training to equip them with the skills required to run their own stall one day. They do not need any F&B background nor even have to pay any franchising fees.

Impressed by the noble cause behind its inception, I support this business wholeheartedly. If this business module indeed works, it can help someone in need to make a living.

On the day of my visit, I dropped by the stall fifteen minutes before the advertised timing of 11am and guess what? An elderly uncle was already seated at the table in front of the stall, enjoying his fried chicken.

Zhonghua Roujiamo @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

Update: Zhognhua Roujiamo has permanently closed.

My very first rougamo was from a coffee shop behind Clementi Bus Interchange two years ago. It was love at first bite but unfortunately, that stall has since shuttered.

Fast forward to last week. I heard there is a newly opened rougamo stall named 中华肉夹馍 at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre.

According to a 8 Days magazine interview, the stall belongs to a Mr. Sham Hei from Hong Kong. If the name sounds all too familiar, that is because he is the man behind Chef Sham H.K. Vinegar Trotter - a chain of hawker stalls known for their black vinegar trotters and nutritious Cantonese soups.

The craft of rougamo making was acquired from one of Chef Sham's business associate, a native from Xi'an, where the street snack hails from. He has since gone back to his hometown and the stall's day-to-day operation is now handled by Michael, a Singaporean PR from Malaysia. 

You can read more about the interview here.